
Matt Bostwick (Microsoft NZ)
Microsoft has honoured its top performing partners in New Zealand, recognising the winners of its 13th annual Microsoft New Zealand Partner Awards during a ceremony held at the Auckland Town Hall.
According to Microsoft, the winners represent the best of the vendor’s local partner network, with judges speaking highly of each of the 10 winners for the outstanding ways in which they are empowering customers through the use of Microsoft technology.
This year’s awards saw two partners recognised multiple times for creating outstanding customer solutions, with Fusion5 being awarded the Business Applications and Transforming Product awards, and Datacom taking out the Cloud for Good and Azure Migrate awards.
Meanwhile, Information Leadership won the Empowering Employees award for the second year in a row.
At the same time, DEFEND Limited demonstrated its award-winning credentials in Modern Work and Security through its work for Zespri.
Moreover, New Zealand’s longest-running Microsoft Gold Partner for DevOps, Equinox IT, was awarded the Azure Innovate Award, thanks in part to its work to help Fulton Hogan’s enterprise data warehouse team transform how it develops and deploys data warehouse capability to critical engineering and infrastructure projects.
Additionally, Valocity went home with the newly introduced ISV Partner Award for its transformation of New Zealand’s property ecosystem via the Valocity Connect app.
Microsoft also reiterated its congratulations of Enlighten Designs which, in July 2020, was named Microsoft NZ’s Partner of the Year.
“The last 12 months have seen the Partner network face some really challenging circumstances,” Microsoft NZ commercial partner director Matt Bostwick said. “What is most exciting to see is that the calibre of this year’s winners shows Partners have really stepped up to the plate and done some incredible work.
“Their exceptional efforts to go above and beyond for customers is admirable and it makes us so proud to be partnered with them.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled by the winners and the incredible work they have achieved this year for customers. Our Partners are transforming New Zealand and its economy in some pretty amazing ways and now is more important than ever for this to continue. We can’t wait to see what they will do next year – watch this space,” he added.
The full list of 2020 winners, along with a mention of either the reason for their win or the customer whose project their win recognises, are below:
Azure Innovate Award
Winner: Equinox IT – Fulton Hogan
Azure Migrate Award
Winner: Datacom – Financial Markets Authority
Highly Commended: LANcom Technology – MMC
Highly Commended: The Instillery – Watercare
Business Applications Award
Winner: Fusion5 – Higher Education Centre of Excellence
Channel Development Award
Winner: Dicker Data – Microsoft Azure Cloud Solution Provider GrowthCloud for Good Award
Winner: Datacom – Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara
Highly Commended: Softsource – Youth Horizons
Empowering Employees Award
Winner: Information Leadership – Tasman District Council
Engaging Customers Award
Winner: NV Interactive – Te Puni Kōkiri
ISV Partner Award
Winner: Valocity – Valocity Connect
Highly Commended: Theta – EVA Check-in
Modern Work & Security Award
Winner: DEFEND – Zespri
Highly Commended: Vodafone New Zealand Limited – Bank of New Zealand
Highly Commended: UNiFY NZ Limited – Ministry of Education
Highly Commended: Lexel Systems Ltd – Alliance Group
Optimising Operations Award
Winner: Rocos – Robot Operations Platform
Surface Partner Award
Winner: Spark New Zealand – Kāinga Ora
Transforming Products Award
Winner: Fusion5 – Manawanui